Gabriel d



4@eine tatre lutrnt @time IMPROVEMENT IN GLUTCH POR HAY-FORKS.

tlge tlgetule utanet tu im tlgise tetten ntent mit mating ont tf tttsume,

TO ALL TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, GABRIEL D. MELOTTE, of Watertown, county ofJefferson, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Clutches, my improvement relating to the constructing ofa clutch or gripe with which to connect, without the use of a ladder, atackle-block, pulley and rope, or other mechanical device equivalentthereto, to the rafters or beams of a barn, to be employed, inconnection with horse hayforks, in pitching hay or straw into or frombarns, or for lifting or haulling purposes; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full description of the construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part ofthis specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan, y

Figure 2 an edge view, and Y Figure 3 the elevating-pole or stale.

Like letters refer to like parts.

To more particularly designate the parts of the clutch, and define itsoperation, the parts lettered a a b will be denominated the principalmembers, and the portions of such members which are above their pivotalpoint will be denominated the upper portions of such members, and thoseportions below said pivotal point thc lower portions of said members. aa b b are the two members of the clutch, which aresecured together byand turn upon the bolt m, which bolt is provided with a head and nut.Theupp'er portions of the members a a b b terminate in sharpened pointsnearly at right angles with the upper portion of said members; suchpoints serving the purpose of teeth to set into rafters or beams. ffisashank, formed upon the lowerend of the member a a. c c is a linkembracing and Venclosing the lower portions of a abb, and to which isattached the tackle-block gg. The link is also providedwith the shankdd. LL is a beam orA rafter. 0 is the socket attached to the stale orpole, (iig. l

`I am aware that there are clutchesand tongs which have an apparentsimilarity of construction with that shown in my improvement, but itwill be clearly seen, by a comparison, that clutches, ice-tongs, forinstance, are quite dilfercntly constructed from my improvement, andhave a different movement when operated. In the ordinary constructionthe members arc in the form of the letter S, and cross each other attheir pivotal point, whereas in my construction the members resemble inform the letter E and the numeral 3, and do not cross at their pivotalpoint. When the clutch is formed of Ss, and the lower portions of itsmembers are moved towards' each other, the upper portions of the membersare brought together, and 'vice versa; whereas, with my construe. tion,this movement is exactly reversed.

yThe point of diiference thus set forth in construction and operation isthat in which my principal improvement consists. The inner edges of thelower portions of the members a a b b form two curved inclined planes,and the outer edges lof the same portions also form curved inclinedplanes. The members a a b b being free to move on the bolt or pivot m,the link e being drawn downwards, the lower portions of such members aremoved outward and from each other,- and the upper portions are movedinward and towards each other, thus performing .the operation ofclutching. The reverse of this operation is performed by forcing thelink upwards, which draws the lower portions of the members together,and opens .the upper portions of said members.

The operation of my improved clutch when used in conneetion with ahay-fork is as follows The shankf is placed into the socket of theelevating-pole, (fig. 3,) and the clutch raised to aprafter or beam. Theteeth of the clutch are then `caught into such rafter or beam, and bypulling on the tackle-rope the teeth are forced into the rafter or beam,as shown in figs. 1 and 2, by the action of the link o on the innerinclined planes herein referred to, and the leverage of the lowerportions of the members of thc clutch. The clutch is'thus rmly securedto a desired position, and is held to it by the pendent force or weightacting through the link c e upon the inclined planes, and the resultantleverage. When it is desired to remove the clutch, the shank d.' d isentered into the socket o, and the link c c is forced upward against theouter edges of the lower portion of the members afa b, the consequentaction of which upon the lower inclined planes, and the resultantleverage, reverse the movement of clutching, the teeth are forced out ofthe-rafter or beam, and the clutch'unloosed and taken down.

When the clutch is to he used for hauling or lifting purposes the pole,(ig.`3,) and shanksfand d will bc dispensed with. i

Hai/'ing thus described my improvement and its operation', what I claimas new, ami desire to secure by Letters'Patent of the United States, is

1. The construction of o. clutch composed of two members connectedtogether by a. bolt or pivot, upon which' boit or pivot said members arefree to turn, in combination with the link c, as herein described,`constructed and operated substantially as and for the purposes hereinset forth.

2. The combination of the shank d with the link'c, and the combinationof the shankfwith a member of a clutch, as and for the purposesspecified.

3. The combination of a. pole or stale and socket o with the Shanks dand f.

In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this specification beforetwo subscribing witnesses.

G. D. MELOTTE.

Witnesses;

J. P. MORGAN, JNO. N. SIGOURNEY.

